Great little hot dog and hamburger place. Chili Mac is awesome. Staff is friendly and service is…read morefast. Always stop in when I am in the area.

On a day off and after some shopping it is always time for a meal. I had been looking around the…read morearea for a place I had never been and one that offered something that I really wanted to eat. When I saw Altoona's Original Texas Hotdogs pop up I didn't have to think much more about it. Located in downtown Altoona, this place has the charm that you would expect to find in some bustling metropolis. However you have it here in Altoona, one of Pennsylvania's biggest cities but with a small town feel. I walked in and made my way to a booth, I was greeted on my way to my seat and told someone would be with me shortly. I sat down and looked at the menu on the table and made my decision fairly quickly. The employees in here are friendly and keep an eye on everything that is going on. Once they saw that I was done looking over the menu someone came to my table to take my order. After placing my order I felt very welcomed here. Every thing I asked for was followed by a "sure thing hun" or "you got it." Waiting for my food I looked around a bit to check this place out. There is the counter that you can order take out from or pay on your way out. Behind that is the grill and fryer where all the food is prepared. Off to the left of that is a counter top to sit at. There are booths along the one wall and some table tops between the booths and counter top. There is also a seating area to the rear of the building. After my look around the restaurant my food arrived. Two Texas Dogs and an order of Chili Cheese Fries. Medium drink to top it off. That came to a reasonable price under $10. The dogs were a bit onion heavy but palatable. I love a good chili and they definitely nailed that here. Not too greasy and the meat was really fine and you could eat this like a soup. Add some mustard and these things are ready to go. The fries were swimming in goodness. Fresh fried these are then topped with a generous portion of both chili and cheese sauce. You need to eat these with a fork unless you are alright with getting a bit messy. One thing you'll need to know here is that if you are getting food most of it comes on paper plates, unless you get a bowl of chili or a side that would soak through, everything is disposable here. Another thing to know, if you pay with a card you will be charged a fee.

Cute little hot dog stand not terribly far from Horseshoe Curve. I have known about this place for…read moreyears, but it took me a long time to get out here. Now I understand the hype. The hot dogs are delicious. Like John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane" delicious. I ate two of these and wanted more. The chili is something of a secret recipe, and I can see why. It has just enough heat to make it more than just a sauce, but it can be eaten with just about anything and it will taste perfect. It is downright righteous and hits all the right principles. There is also ample parking outside, so you never have to worry about finding somewhere to leave the car. All in all, this is a simple restaurant with simple people making simple food. Simple as that.

Food is awesome. Prices are decent however don't expect your order to be right or in a timely…read moremanner. The kids running it can only do 1 order at a time. Maybe they can learn to do better, however, the turnover seems to be over the top.

Cash only!!! Putting this at the top of review to make sure folks know :)…read more I really, REALLY wanted to love this place. We went for a late lunch (so I haven't tried the breakfast and hope to come back and do!). The hot dogs were very stadium/gas station-esque. We had one with and one without toppings to taste it on its own and neither was a hit. A little disappointing at a hot dog-specific place. The chili cheese fries were alright, though the chili tasted more like a watered down tomato sauce. Mozz sticks were quite good and always a hit. Service was friendly and fast (though the person at the counter ignored me several times and only addressed my boyfriend, lol), ambiance was classic diner. Price was a high point and all menu items were very affordable.

I like this local hotdog joint, the price is fair, hotdogs are fast and taste good. Owner was super…read morenice. What else can you ask for?

After spending an afternoon at the discovery Museum, a few blocks away, we popped in for lunch…read more It's a quaint little corner store, right next to the Maryland theater. The venue can be overwhelming, with lots of choices. One section of the menu was dedicated to hotdogs, one section is dedicated to non-hotdog entrées, and also Appetizers, desserts, and drinks. The dogs here are amazing! I loved the Chicago dog, but when I had my a bite of the Big Mac dog I wished I got that one too.Then we had the pastrami dog making it a three dog night. The fries are also especially delicious because they are crunchy and battered. My little one had a kids meal that came with fries and he was forced to share. With any hotdog, you get your choice of beef,/chicken, or veggie. We went beef all the way, and it was a great choice. The dogs are split and grilled on a flat top, and maintain all of their juicy goodness. And the toppings just enhanced everything. If you're a hotdog purist, ketchup and relish or mustard and onions would also make for perfect dogs. The staff was friendly and super accommodating to a feral toddler. For three hotdogs, a kids meal, I need rings, and drinks, the $40 price felt like a bargain. Great quality and value.

Ok so we went there on Saturday over the past weekend. It was about 5:30. I got a Chicago dog,…read morewhich was excellent, the all beef. Husband got the foot long coney dog and my son got a sausage with some kind of sauce on it. I eat about 2 hot dogs a year so when I say it was delicious, I mean it. Now the bad. My 4 year old grandson got grilled cheese. It took forever for the food to come out. Like forever forever. He ate like nothing bc he drank his whole drink while we were waiting as we had been at the park for a couple of hours beforehand. I know, not unusual for a little guy. That's not the real problem. I got a side of onion rings and it was almost $5 for like 6 onion rings. Ketchup in little packets... not cost efficient and annoying for us. Had to track down waitress to get husband a second beer and me a first. There was no air conditioning and it was so hot in there!! AND THE WORST THING OF ALL... WHEN THE BILL CAME THERE WAS A 20% INCLUDED GRATUITY FOR "LARGE PARTY", which was not discussed. First of all, it was 4 ppl. That is not a large party. Second of all, this was not mentioned by staff. I see this sometimes with a group of 8 or more and it is usually noted in a menu somewhere or mentioned. But 4 people is not a large party. My husband and I both worked in the restsurant industry in our younger years. We get it, servers need to be taken care of, but come on. BEWARE. I would have gone back for that hot dog even with the sloooowww service and just not gotten a side, but that automatic gratuity thing is ridiculous. Customer lost.

passing through and stopped in by a recommendation from a local resident , I heard about this place…read moreyears ago from another famous Hot dog joint in baltimore . greated by the owner who was super friendly explained the menu and what's popular. I go a few dogs with everything, super crispy fries and probably the best chocolate milkshake I've had in awhile . friendl people, great food and atmosphere , highly recommend !!!

First time here and did not see a menu but not to worry they were kind enough to explain weiners…read moreget 3 toppings ( brown mustard, homemade sauce, and onions) they don't offer any of the other shit (his words) 3 dogs and fries came to less than $10 . It was good definitely recommend. Warning dining room is dark.

Excellent service great people great food the workers are friendly and helpful the food is fresh…read moreand hot the workers always great you with a smile

From the owner: Hot Dog Lodge is a family run and operated business committed to providing hand crafted food at…read moreaffordable prices.

The hotdogs are amazing and the chips are small but they are really good their cheap and hot dog…read morejohn is really nice

Hot Dog John has been a great addition to the Downtown Indiana atmosphere for several years now. I…read moreused to work there and feasted on his excellent food every week (when he moved between both ends of town). Hot dogs, chili, brats nachos n cheese and other occasional specials.Despite the local restaurateurs' best efforts to drive him away I am glad he stayed. Excellent, quick food at a good price. One of the nicest people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.